Blood is Thicker Than Water
by a mountain of gideon's scones
Summary: An introspective look into Noelle's feelings as her grandmother tells her of the relationship with Reed. *Vanished spoilers!* um... first Private story, so please R&R!


First Private story I have written, so please enjoy!

_Hope that you enjoy it!_

_I don't own anything!_

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_**Noelle's POV:**_

I don't believe it. I just _cannot_ believe it. Reed _cannot_ be my sister. It's just not possible! My Father wouldn't have an affair, would he? I mean, of course he does **now**, but back then I always believed that he and my Mother were still in love with one another. I never could have believed that the discontent in their marriage began when I was still only two years old. Perhaps this is the reason why I do not have any _true_ brothers or sisters, bore from both parents together, because they were already separated, in a sense.

But _Reed_? The girl from Pennsylvania, the scholarship girl who always speaks of her Father as if he is her God. But he _isn't_ her Father, _my _Father is… we are siblings, linked through a number of months of passion between her Mother and my Father, mistakes made on both sides to result in a baby that I never knew existed.

I **still** cannot get rid of the shock I felt when my Grandmother told me that my friend is in fact my sister. I always felt, somehow, that we had a link between us that was deeper than simply the close friendship that was between us… but I never imagined this.

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_Flashback – to when she was told._

"Noelle, I need you to sit down," my grandmother says to me softly, gesturing for me to sit in the padded chair opposite her. What could this be about? I mean, she has flown in all the way from _Paris_ to tell me something that she quite easily could have told me over the phone! The simple fact that she is here tells me that it is important – I can only hope that it isn't something appalling, like she is on her deathbed or something (not that Grandmother Lange would have _anything_ **quite** as gauche as a _deathbed_) because that is the only thing that I can think of that could justify a visit in the flesh.

"What is it?" I ask, being rude but not caring because of the stress I am under. I portray myself to the rest of the world to be this ruthless character, not caring about anyone, but that isn't true. It's to protect me from being hurt, like my parent's continual absence throughout my life has done to me. It's to stop myself being harmed by another so called 'friend' like Ariana, or to make sure that I don't appear to be weak at all. No, I am not the bravado that I show the rest of the world… I just make myself appear to be vain and self-centred; my friends mean more to me than anything in the world and I cannot bear to watch them in pain.

"Manners, Noelle," my grandmother tuts slightly before her expression softens. She looks down at her clenched hands, the manicure on them appearing to be slightly worn… this alerts me even _more_ that something is up. After all, if **my** family are beginning to get slack with their appearance, I cannot _imagine _what the rest of the world are doing! "I have something to inform you… your Father is busy this week, otherwise he would do it himself, but you must be made aware of the situation sooner rather than later," she continues gravely and my heart skips a beat. Is Daddy ill or something? Is he dying? It makes more sense for my grandmother to be telling me pertinent information like this, rather than my mother, because he has always been close to his mother… never has _my_ mother commanded the same level of respect that he has for my grandmother.

"Is Daddy dying?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly as I realise that this _could_ be happening. He drinks a little too much sometimes (as we all do) and I just hope that he isn't dying… who would buy me the designer bags that I want if he croaks?

"No, no, nothing like that… rather an addition to the family," she says hastily and I jump from fear to anger. There is a difference between _having_ affairs (as they both do) to having a bastard child… there is a line that that all adulterers know not to cross, and unfortunately my father seems to have crossed it.

"You mean, one of his whores is pregnant?" I say harshly and she looks appalled at my language. Shit, I forgot that you don't use such 'a vulgar term' with my grandmother: I would be surprised if she has ever used the word 'whore' much less expect her granddaughter to use it.

"_Language_ Noelle!" she says sharply, looking at me in horror. "No, no… he wouldn't be as stupid as to do that – let me explain. Many years ago, I believe it to be approximately eighteen; your father employed someone in one of his businesses. A young woman, who had recently separated from her husband… something began between them and I believe that it was rather special, from what your father has said on the subject, until she realised just how much she missed her husband and she returned home," she continues, confusing me somewhat. Why the hell do we care that my father's mistress decided to return home? ahhh… she was pregnant.

"I presume that she was pregnant?" I say bitterly, my mouth spitting out the words… Taylor would inform me of every single letter type, from the plosive 'p' to the soft 's', but I don't care… wait, I've just thought about that, haven't I. Shit, I seem to be turning into more of an academic than I thought would be possible!

"Yes, you are right," she says, and my heart drops. Somewhere in the world I have a half brother or sister, only two years younger than me. Someone my father could be lavishing with gifts everyday, giving _them_ the love that I always wanted from him. I know he loves me, but he never seems to show it. Not properly, at least. "She was born and believes her mother's husband to be her father. Your father stayed away, at her mother's request, but I believe that he, along with myself, pulled certain strings to be able to get her accepted to your school… the place that she always wanted to go," my grandmother says. So I take it that this bastard child, the one that probably ruined my parent's marriage properly, goes to my school at the moment. I wonder which one it is. Who knows if they know of our relationship, or if they have been left as much in the dark as I have been… I want to know who it is.

"So you're saying that Daddy _deliberately_ wanted this kid at my school?" I spit out, not wanting to use more vulgar language (which I certainly WANT to) in fear that she will react negatively. Believe me, seeing Lenora Lange angry puts a Noelle Lange fit to shame!

"He felt that it wasn't her fault that she was born into such dire circumstances," she continues and I have a bad feeling, inside, that I know where this is going. Could it be… no, it couldn't! "He said that just because her mother declined his offers of money to help his daughter out, it wouldn't be fair that the girl who had the brains to get into Easton couldn't, because of the lack of money. He arranged with the school to say that she got in on a partial scholarship when, in fact, he was paying the money the school said that they were putting across," she continues and my face freezes. I _know_ a girl of that age, on a partial scholarship to Easton. She's my best friend, for crying out loud! There isn't a chance that she could be my sister… she said that people compare her to her dad sometimes, the man that she looks up to, all the world. I've seen her with him and she loves him more than anything. He is her father, not _my_ father!

"No, you have got to be kidding me!" I exclaim harshly. "Reed Brennan is _not_ my sister, you have got it wrong! She has her parents and her father is _not_ mine!" I continue, my voice shaking. It's not that I would mind Reed being my sister, it's just not possible!

"I wish that I was unable to say this, also, Noelle, but it is true," she promises. I do not believe her. I should speak to my Dad… he will know. He will tell me that it's time for grandmother to be put into a care home, that she is simply making it up, that she has lost all lucidity.

I pull my phone out of my bag and scroll through to my father's number, pressing the call button. Grandmother's eyebrows raise at this as my phone goes to my ear but she says nothing; that is wise of her. I feel so annoyed with her that, if it were possible, I almost want to rip her head off!

"Noelle," my father's dry voice greets me. "I presume I can guess what this phone call is about," he says, making my heart sink.

"Is it true?" I demand of him. "Daddy, is Reed Brennan, my best friend, my _sister_?" I press and I can hear him sighing down the phone.

Finally, he responds. "Yes, honey," he says with a dejected tone. "She is. I'm sorry, but your grandmother is telling the truth," he continues and I shut the call off, too shocked to be able to talk to him anymore. My phone drops into my lap and I stare at my grandmother, who nods very slowly.

"Believe me now?" she asks and I mimic her nodding of her head, unable to speak. "What do you think of this news?" she continues and I snort, finding my voice.

"What do you _think_ I think of it?" I snort, manic laughter barely managing to remain under my control. "I've just found out that my best friend is my father's other daughter, and that she doesn't obviously know. So yeah, I'm doing absolutely brilliantly!" I say sarcasm evident in my tone. She shakes her head at my tone but doesn't comment on it – she's a smart woman.

She places a hand on my shoulder gingerly, a movement of comfort, and I lean into it… I cannot believe it. Reed Brennan, my sister… it's something I'd never have believed, if it wasn't my Father who told me!

_End of flashback_

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It just doesn't seem normal! It doesn't seem as if it could be real, that Reed is my sister, a blood relative of mine. It seems rather surreal; to be honest… it isn't real!

Yet she is my sister. It makes sense now, as I think back to St Barts. Dad bought her that bag, the same as mine, and the way that he always was so protective over her, making sure that a rescue party was sent straight out to save her when she got into one of her _many_ scrapes. The bag should have alerted me that something was different, especially with the awful excuse that he gave us all for it. And the way that my Mum just stayed away as far as possible from her; there was something wrong, I just never realised.

But I _have_ to command the way that her Mother has handled the situation. My family are _really_ rich; she could have sold her story to the papers or demanded child support. Yet she made out that Reed was her husband's child, and I can see the brilliance of that situation. She has been brought up in a home situation that has been stable – she has had two loving parents (although I think that her mother has been a little… _unstable_over the years) whereas my parents have spent more time away from me than they have done with me. She has grown up with a father that has loved her and been there for her – they didn't want the money of my family; they wanted to raise Reed as a normal child, not the love child of a billionaire.

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_This story was rather therapeutic to write, if I am honest! In a sense, I found the inner character of Noelle to be similar to Amelie from Morganville Vampires (anyone who reads both series, tell me if you (dis)agree) so it was quite easy to write in her POV!_

_Tell me what you think! I saw that there was a gap in the 'market' (so to speak) for this story, so please review!_

_Vicky xx_


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